2018 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Bourgogne Rouge Burgundy France 750 ml

Handpicked Pinot Noir from estate vineyards, produced by a top domaine in Burgundy’s most prominent village, isn’t supposed to cost less than the glass it’s poured in. But that’s just the case with this delicious, overachieving Bourgogne from Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret. 

Made ultra-famous by the monopole Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the village of Vosne-Romanée in the heart of the Côtes du Nuits has long been considered the pinnacle of Pinot Noir production. Mongeard-Mugneret has grown world-class fruit in this village for eight consecutive generations, going back to the year 1620. 

Over those four centuries, they’ve developed an incredible stable of wines, featuring five Grand Cru (including Richebourg) and seven Premier Cru bottlings—wines that can fetch more than $500 per bottle upon release. 

It’s that historic reputation they stake on this wine, their entry level red that sells for less than $30. Grown on their home terroirs, on 50-year-old vines, harvested according to their enlightened philosophy—sorting the grapes by hand, and completely destemmed before pressing—this is a rare Bourgogne that gets the full-blown treatment of its paterfamilias.

Our very own Sur Lucero, Master Sommelier, said this wine “clearly could have been destined for a higher designation,” pointing to its overflowing aromatic expansiveness and rich, fleshy palate. But winemaker Vincent Mongeard had other plans, elevating his Bourgogne with domaine fruit and keeping the rest of his portfolio sharply delineated. 

It’s one of the best deals we’ve found coming out of Burgundy in ages. 

Mongeard started tending the domaine’s vines in 1975 and took full control in 1995 from his father Jean, a man who had risen to great prominence in Burgundy and served as the president of Association des Viticulteurs de la Côte d’Or for many years. Over the past 25 years, Vincent has followed his father’s example in the vineyard but returned to the traditional method of bottling, filtering only on certain vintages.

That slight shift leaves the Bourgogne Rouge with a little extra grip, although the tannins are modest and the wine’s texture supple. It pours a dazzling light red with pink-ruby highlights and the palate has already started to develop some of that animal quality typical of older Côtes du Nuits wines. 

Jeb Dunnuck called the previous vintage “smoking good” and billed it as “a brilliant little appellation wine.” With 2018 in Vosne ending up every bit as great as that 2017, the accolades will be rolling in any day. 

A true blue-chip Burgundy for less than $30 is just not something we’ve come to expect, even with our focus on wines that overdeliver for the price. Yet another way this era continues to surprise us, this time to our great delight.